Soundtrack to the Collective Meltdown (2021) :: A Holiday At The Sea (MEGA) Playlist

The next time you’ve got nearly 5 hours to kill, I’ve got the mix for you! These are not necessarily my “favorite songs of 2021.” Instead, these are choice cuts; one representative track from each of my favorite 50 albums of the year. Regardless of length.

Get ready for a ride.

Tracklist:

1. Pray for Peace by Ustad Saami from East Pakistan Sky

2. Recessinater by Birds of Maya from Valdez

3. The People vs. the Rest of Us by Damon Locks Black Monument Ensemble from NOW

4. Bell Song by 75 Dollar Bill featuring Barry Weisblat from Social Music at Troost Vol. 1

5. Ya Rossoul by Khaira Arby from Khaira Arby In New York (Live In 2010)

6. Movement by Bell Orchestre from House Music

7. Broken Mirror (A Selfie Reflection)/Composition 9 by Matthew E. White and Lonnie Holley from Broken Mirror: A Selfie Reflection

8. Riddim Rek Sa Niouy Mom by Wau Wau Collectif from Yaral Sa Doom

9. All That They Left You by Six Organs of Admittance from The Veiled Sea

10. Days Like These by Low from Hey What

11. VBS by Lucy Dacus from Home Video

12. Brothers by Phil Cook from All These Years

13. Dark In Here by the Mountain Goats from Dark In Here

14. Djougoh by Nahawa Doumbia from Kanawa

15. The Call by Madlib from Sound Ancestors

16. Beat Up Born Where I Come From by Ghost of Vroom from Ghost of Vroom 1

17. Dovetail by Girls in Airports from Leap

18. descension (Out of Our Constrictions) III by Natural Information Society and Evan Parker from descension (Out of Our Constrictions)

19. Beowulf’s Trip by Jeffrey Alexander and the Heavy Lidders from Jeffrey Alexander and the Heavy Lidders

20. World is Turning by Rose City Band from Earth Trip

21. Disposable Thumbs by Endless Boogie from Admonitions

22. Staggering With a Lantern by Mountain Movers from World What World

23. Albuquerque by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis from CARNAGE

24. OUR SIDE HAS TO WIN (for D.H.) by Godspeed You! Black Emperor from G_d's Pee At States End!

25. Juvenescence by Yasmin Williams from Urban Driftwood

26. Invisible Map by Derek Piotr from Making and Then Unmaking

27. You Can Regret What You Have Done by Matt Sweeney and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy from Superwolves

28. This Old World by Billy Strings from Renewal

29. Kelp Highway by Drew Gardner from Drew Gardner

30. Jnoun ! by Bachar Mar-Khalifé from Ghost Songs

31. In Remembrance Of Those Fallen by Sons of Kemet from Black To The Future

32. Bertha The Cool by Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog from Hope

33. Give Me Back My Loving by Leo Nocentelli from Another Side

34. Don’t Let The Tears by Howlin’ Rain from The Dharma Wheel

35. Tree of Tule by Daniel Lanois from Heavy Sun

36. Way To Cairo by Native Soul from Teenage Dreams

37. Ethiopian Sunshower by Adrian Younge And Ali Shaheed Muhammad from Brian Jackson JID008

38. Zengadyw Derekou by Hailu Mergia from Tezeta

39. Ya Habibti by Mdou Moctar from Afrique Victime

40. Tropicale Moon by Mouth Painter from Tropicale Moon

41. Natural Facts by Wet Tuna from Eu’d To A Fake Boogie Volume 4

42. Shrinks the Day by Ryley Walker and Kikagaku Moyo from Deep Fried Grandeur

43. Musungu Elongo Paints His Face White to Scare Small Children by Kasai Allstars from Black Ants Always Fly Together, One Bangle Makes No Sound

44. Trap Life by Sault from Nine

45. Désert by Dobe Gnahoré from Couleur

46. Part 1 by Elkhorn from The Golden Lag

47. If It Comes In The Morning by Hiss Golden Messenger from Quietly Blowing It

48. Morning River by Steve Gunn from Other You

49. Shiva With Dustpan by Ryley Walker from Course In Fable

50. Cortez the Killer (live) by Neil Young and Crazy Horse from Way Down In The Rust Bucket

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• Browse my favorite albums of the year

• Browse my “2021 Yearly Wrap-it-Up” which is really a ramble about seeing Phish

• Browse my favorite books of 2021

• Browse my favorite movies of 2021

• Browse my favorite television of 2021

• Listen to a nearly 5-hour very low quality mix of one song from each of my favorite albums of 2021 called “Soundtrack to the Collective Meltdown”

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2021 Year In Review :: Favorite Albums

Here’s the dealio, my coolios.

Each year, I keep a running diary of sorts of all of the things I liked each year. If you’re interested (which I doubt you are), you can follow along with my real-time unedited yearly bookkeeping here.

At the end of each year I try to cull down the music section to what really defined my year musically. No ranking. Just great music. Here are 50 of my favorite 2021 albums in alphabetical order.

Albums In Visual Alphabetical Order:

Albums In Alphabetical Alphabetical Order:

1. Social Music at Troost Vol.1 by 75 Dollar Bill

2. Jeffrey Alexander and the Heavy Lidders by Jeffrey Alexander and the Heavy Lidders // Elixor of Life by Jeffrey Alexander and the Heavy Lidders

3. Khaira Arby in New York (Live in 2010) by Khaira Arby

4. House Music by Bell Orchestre

5. Valdez by Birds of Maya

6. Carnage by Nick Cave & Warren Ellis

7. All These Years by Phil Cook

8. Home Video by Lucy Dacus

9. Kanawa by Nahawa Doumbia

10. The Golden Lag by Elkhorn

11. Admonitions by Endless Boogie

12. Drew Gardner by Drew Gardner

13. Ghost of Vroom 1 by Ghost of Vroom

14. Leap by Girls in Airports

15. Couleur by Dobet Gnahoré

16. G_d's Pee At States End! by Godspeed You! Black Emperor

17. Other You by Steve Gunn

18. Quietly Blowing It by Hiss Golden Messenger

19. The Dharma Wheel by Howlin’ Rain

20. Brian Jackson JID008 by Brian Jackson, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Adrian Younge

21. Black Ants Always Fly Together, One Bangle Makes No Sound by Kasai Allstars

22. Heavy Sun by Daniel Lanois

23. Now by Damon Locks & Black Monument Ensemble

24. Hey What by Low

25. Sound Ancestors by Madlib

26. Hope by Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog

27. Ghost Songs by Bachar Mar-Khalifé

28. Tezeta by Hailu Mergia

29. Afrique Victime by Mdou Moctar

30. Dark In Here by the Mountain Goats

31. World What World by Mountain Movers

32. Tropicale Moon by Mouth Painter

33. Teenage Dreams by Native Soul

34. descension (Out of Our Constrictions) by Natural Information Society/Evan Parker

35. Another Side by Leo Nocentelli (1971)

36. Making and Then Unmaking by Derek Piotr

37. Earth Trip by Rose City Band

38. East Pakistan Sky by Ustad Saami

39. Nine by Sault

40. The Veiled Sea by Six Organs of Admittance

41. Black to the Future by Sons of Kemet

42. Renewal by Billy Strings

43. Superwolves by Matt Sweeney and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy

44. Deep Fried Grandeur by Ryley Walker And Kikagaku Moyo

45. Course In Fable by Ryley Walker

46. Yaral Sa Doom by Wau Wau Collectif

47. Eau’d To A Fake Boogie Volume 4 by Wet Tuna

48. Broken Mirror: A Selfie Reflection by Matthew E. White and Lonnie Holley

49. Urban Driftwood by Yasmin Williams

50. Way Down in the Rust Bucket by Neil Young and Crazy Horse

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• Browse my favorite albums of the year

• Browse my “2021 Yearly Wrap-it-Up” which is really a ramble about seeing Phish

• Browse my favorite books of 2021

• Browse my favorite movies of 2021

• Browse my favorite television of 2021

• Listen to a nearly 5-hour very low quality mix of one song from each of my favorite albums of 2021 called “Soundtrack to the Collective Meltdown”

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The Freeform Family Dinner Radioshow (04) :: A Holiday At The Sea Playlist

I have this playlist on my laptop called “Mix: Home Listening.” It’s currently at 1,331 songs. When our family is just hanging around the house, or especially when Kristi and I cook, we put that playlist on shuffle and just hope for the best. Well, not really, since everything in that playlist is hand-picked.

There are some evenings when my wife and I will look at each other and just wish we could have that same mix of music that just came up to enjoy later on. So, some time ago, I started keeping track of some of the evenings we really liked and I started making mixes of them for the car or just to re-play. We don’t replay them often, but since I have several of them, I thought: why not share them with my Holiday at the Sea online friends and family.

I do pick the first song but from then on out, it’s all shuffle. We’ve been making these mixes about an hour to an hour-and-a-half since that’s what will fit on a blank CD. So, it has to be on shuffle and play good songs for at least an hour. If I skip a song, then the whole mix is thrown out.

I’m not sure how many of these mixes I will end up posting, but I’ve got several ready to go, so I figured that now is as good a time as any. I hope you enjoy and that these songs accompany as many good family times for you as they have for us.

Enjoy.

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1. “Never Say Never” by the Linda Lindas

2. “Every Grain of Sand” by Emmylou Harris

3. “Super Bon Bon” by Mike Doughty

4. “Apology” by the Posies

5. “Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye

6. “Down There By The Train” by Tom Waits

7. “So Much Things To Say” by Bob Marley & the Wailers

8. “One Twenty One” by Aaron Strumpel

9. “Nuthin’ But A G Thang by Dr. Dre

10. “Isis” by Bob Dylan

11. “Twisty Bass” by Neil Finn

12. “The Gospel According to Water” by Joe Henry

13. “Black Coffee In Bed” by Squeeze

14. “How Long?” by the Boggs

15. “Baby Blue” by Mount Moriah

16. “Moonlight Mile” by the Rolling Stones

17. “Rockin’ In The Free World” by Neil Young

18. “Proud Mary” by Creedence Clearwater Revival

19. “Cardigan” by Taylor Swift

20. “So Good So Far” by O.A.R.

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• Browse all Holiday at the Sea playlists

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The Freeform Family Dinner Radioshow (03) :: A Holiday At The Sea Playlist

I have this playlist on my laptop called “Mix: Home Listening.” It’s currently at 1,331 songs. When our family is just hanging around the house, or especially when Kristi and I cook, we put that playlist on shuffle and just hope for the best. Well, not really, since everything in that playlist is hand-picked.

There are some evenings when my wife and I will look at each other and just wish we could have that same mix of music that just came up to enjoy later on. So, some time ago, I started keeping track of some of the evenings we really liked and I started making mixes of them for the car or just to re-play. We don’t replay them often, but since I have several of them, I thought: why not share them with my Holiday at the Sea online friends and family.

I do pick the first song but from then on out, it’s all shuffle. We’ve been making these mixes about an hour to an hour-and-a-half since that’s what will fit on a blank CD. So, it has to be on shuffle and play good songs for at least an hour. If I skip a song, then the whole mix is thrown out.

I’m not sure how many of these mixes I will end up posting, but I’ve got several ready to go, so I figured that now is as good a time as any. I hope you enjoy and that these songs accompany as many good family times for you as they have for us.

Enjoy.

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1. “Skinny Love” by Bon Iver

2. “Pump It Up” by Elvis Costello

3. “Swing Wide The Glimmering Gates” by Andrew Osenga

4. “When It Don’t Come Easy” by Patty Griffin

5. “This Tornado Loves You” by Neko Case

6. “Hold On” by Alabama Shakes

7. “The Last Of The Famous International Playboys” by Morrissey

8. “Carry Me Ohio” by Sun Kil Moon

9. “Brimful of Asha” by Cornershop

10. “Silence Kit” by Pavement

11. “Welcome to Struggleville” by Vigilantes of Love

12. “Mr. Mudd & Mr. Gold” by Townes Van Zandt

13. “Blanket of Ghosts” by Dustin Kenstrue

14. “Distress Signal” by Jeremy Casella

15. “Lincoln Town” by John Hiatt

16. “This Empty Northern Hemisphere” by Gregory Alan Isakov

17. “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore” by John Prine

18. “Narcissus Soaking Wet” by Chris Robinson Brotherhood

19. “Be Thankful” by Jackie Mittoo

20. “Funeral Singers” by Califone

21. “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart” by Jeff Tweedy

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• Browse all Holiday at the Sea playlists

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The Freeform Family Dinner Radioshow (02) :: A Holiday At The Sea Playlist

I have this playlist on my laptop called “Mix: Home Listening.” It’s currently at 1,331 songs. When our family is just hanging around the house, or especially when Kristi and I cook, we put that playlist on shuffle and just hope for the best. Well, not really, since everything in that playlist is hand-picked.

There are some evenings when my wife and I will look at each other and just wish we could have that same mix of music that just came up to enjoy later on. So, some time ago, I started keeping track of some of the evenings we really liked and I started making mixes of them for the car or just to re-play. We don’t replay them often, but since I have several of them, I thought: why not share them with my Holiday at the Sea online friends and family.

I do pick the first song but from then on out, it’s all shuffle. We’ve been making these mixes about an hour to an hour-and-a-half since that’s what will fit on a blank CD. So, it has to be on shuffle and play good songs for at least an hour. If I skip a song, then the whole mix is thrown out.

I’m not sure how many of these mixes I will end up posting, but I’ve got several ready to go, so I figured that now is as good a time as any. I hope you enjoy and that these songs accompany as many good family times for you as they have for us.

Enjoy.

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1. “Livin’ Was Easy” by the Glands

2. “Sisters and Brothers” by the Vespers

3. “G’Dang Diggy” by Common Market

4. “The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead” by XTC

5. “Second Hand News” by Fleetwood Mac

6. “Black-Throated Wind” by Bob Weir

7. “Mr. Tambourine Man” by Brothers And Sisters Of Los Angeles

8. “Anxious” by the Housemartins

9. “Grace” by Star & Micey

10. “Acid Boys” by Susto

11. “I Believe (In Everything)” by JJ Grey and Mofro

12. “Wichita Lineman” by Johnny Cash

13. “Raw Power” by Iggy and the Stooges

14. “Two Little Feet” by Greg Brown

15. “Chickens on the Lamb” by Ramsay Midwood

16. “Bed Jammin” by Lee “Scratch Perry

17. “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye

18. “Scarred But Smarter” by Model Engine

19. “I Could Be Wrong (But I Don’t Think I Am)” by Vigilantes of Love

20. “Madness” by Madness

21. “Country Girls in City Dresses” by Doug Burr

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• Browse all Holiday at the Sea playlists

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The Freeform Family Dinner Radioshow (01) :: A Holiday At The Sea Playlist

I have this playlist on my laptop called “Mix: Home Listening.” It’s currently at 1,331 songs. When our family is just hanging around the house, or especially when Kristi and I cook, we put that playlist on shuffle and just hope for the best. Well, not really, since everything in that playlist is hand-picked.

There are some evenings when my wife and I will look at each other and just wish we could have that same mix of music that just came up to enjoy later on. So, some time ago, I started keeping track of some of the evenings we really liked and I started making mixes of them for the car or just to re-play. We don’t replay them often, but since I have several of them, I thought: why not share them with my Holiday at the Sea online friends and family.

I do pick the first song but from then on out, it’s all shuffle. We’ve been making these mixes about an hour to an hour-and-a-half since that’s what will fit on a blank CD. So, it has to be on shuffle and play good songs for at least an hour. If I skip a song, then the whole mix is thrown out.

I’m not sure how many of these mixes I will end up posting, but I’ve got several ready to go, so I figured that now is as good a time as any. I hope you enjoy and that these songs accompany as many good family times for you as they have for us.

Enjoy.

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1. “That’s What Love Will Make You Do” by Jerry Garcia

2. “Aquarius” by Boards of Canada

3. “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere” by Neil Young

4. “Afrikaner Barista” by Beauty Pill

5. “Rastaman Chant (live)” by Bob Marley and the Wailers

6. “Praise God I’m Satisfied” by Blind Willie Johnson

7. “China” by Greg Brown

8. “Can I Kick It?” by A Tribe Called Quest

9. “Me and Bobby McGee” by Janis Joplin

10. “‘Ol ‘55 (live)” by Tom Waits

11. “Homestead” by Northern Hustle

12. “Love, Love, Love (Everyone” by Akron/Fmily

13. “Oppenheimer” by Old 97’s

14. “The King Is Half-Undressed” by Jellyfish

15. “Kinky Afro” by Happy Mondays

16. “Penny Lane” by the Beatles

17. “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers

18. “Unfortunately, Anna” by Justin Townes Earle

19. “Laughter (live)” by Josh Rouse

20. “Self Care” by Mac Miller

21. “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight” by Lee Hazlewood

22. “Precita” by Mount Moriah

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• Browse all Holiday at the Sea playlists

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Playlist: Apothecary of Wonders

Here is a fun mix I’ve been listening to in the office lately. I thought you might like it.

Sort of works with a musical mood, sort of doesn’t. Just the way I like it.

An international flavor travelogue.

An auditory exploration.

Tracklist:

1. “Wandering Melodic Road “ by The Tune

2. “Nobody Knew The Time” by Beasts of Paradise

3. “Reflection” by Faran Ensemble

4. “Chyraa Khoor” Huun-Huur-Tu

5. “Signs” by Eishan Ensemble

6. “The Imam” by Sun City Girls

7. “Junkanoo” by Exuma

8. “Bismillah” by Sarathy Korwar

9. “Biba Sada Dil Mor De” by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

10. “Shudh Sarang” by Pramod Kumar

11. “Farah 'Alaiyna (Joy Upon Us)” by Ahmed Abdul-Malik

12. “Mustt Mustt (Extended)” by Kiran Ahluwalia

• Browse other Holiday at the Sea playlists.

• Visit the Global Elite Music Radio Podcast Supershow page where you can find:

  • “Wandering Melodic Road “ by The Tune on Episode 10.

  • "Nobody Knew The Time" by Beasts of Paradise on Episode 13.

  • "Reflection" by Faran Ensemble on Episode 03.

  • “Chyraa Khoor” by Huun-Huur-Tu on Episode 19.

  • "”Esoterica Of Abyssynia” by Sun City Girls on Episode 26.

    • Browse other Holiday at the Sea posts about Sun City Girls

  • "Junkanoo" by Exuma on Episode 10.

  • "Bismillah" by Sarathy Korwar on Episode 08.

    • Browse other Holiday at the Sea posts about Sarathy Korwar

  • "Shudh Sarang" by Pramod Kumar on Episode 03.

  • “Farah 'Alaiyna (Joy Upon Us)” by Ahmed Abdul-Malik on Episode 28.

  • "Mustt Mustt (Extended)" by Kiran Ahluwalia on Episode 02.

    • Browse other Holiday at the Sea posts about Kiran Ahluwalia.

• Browse other Holiday at the Sea posts about Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

• Download a PDF of the Jewel Case art if you’re in to that sort of thing.

Grateful Dead: Playing In The Jam (A Holiday At The Sea Mix)

Ever wonder what “Playing In The Band” might sound like as an extended instrumental free-jazz-space-rock suite? Well, I did.

Inspired by Save Your Face and their various Grateful Dead mixes, I edited six different performances of “Playing In The Band” into an instrumental suite.

I’m not entirely happy with a couple of the transitions, but I dig how it turned out overall, seeing as how I am not a professional, I didn’t actually spend that much time on this, and I really only made this for myself to listen to either while I work or commuting. Enjoy.

Here are the deets for the six pieces making up the Suite:

• 00:00 - 11:39 :: 09.21.72 at the The Spectrum in Philadelphia, PA (released as Dicks’s Picks 36)

• 11:39-25:45 :: 03.24.73 at the The Spectrum in Philadelphia, PA

• 25:245 - 34:47 :: 11.10.73 at Winterland Arena in San Francisco, CA (released as part of Winterland 1973: The Complete Recordings)

• 34:47 - 44:09 :: 05.17.77 at Memorial Coliseum, U of Alabama, MS (released as part of May 1977)

• 44:09: 52:31 :: 05.28.77 at at Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT (released as To Terrapin: Hartford '77)

• 52:31 - 56:27 :: 05.28.77 at at Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT (released as To Terrapin: Hartford '77)

I chose these performances for no real reason other than that this is the time-period of the Dead that I listen to most and these shows happened to be on my laptop when I decided to try out this idea.

And if all that weren’t enough goodness, here’s an instrumental edit of the mammoth “Playing In The Band” from the Pacific Northwest '73-'74: Believe it If You Need It (Live) set (Live at Hec Edmundson Pavillion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 5/21/74).

Enjoy.

• Visit the Grateful Dead’s official website.

• Follow the Grateful Dead on Facebook.

• Follow Grateful Dead on Twitter.

• Purchase Grateful Dead music on Amazon.